Italian Election Results Leave Markets Shocked, Shocked!

Super Mario apparently has met his match in two of his countrymen, one a comedian and the other a presumed political joke. But their unexpectedly strong showings in Italy's election have cast doubt on the European Central Bank's head ability to hold the euro together singlehandedly and, as a result, have thrust the eurozone crisis back into the global markets' focus.

Results show the pre-election favorite, the center-left Democratic Party of Pier Luigi Bersani, gaining a tiny victory in Italy's lower house. But the...